Editor's Picks 12 November : India

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51 villagers from Madhya Pradesh in India protesting in neck-deep water for the 17th day, against their local government, asking for a compensation for their land that got submerged after the height of two dams - Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar Dam - was raised. The Madhya Pradesh government finally blinked to their demands seeking to reduce the water level to 189 metres.

The 520 MW Omkareshwar project is one of the several big dams on the Narmada river, built by the Narmada Hydroelectric Development Corporation, a joint venture between NHPC Ltd and the government of Madhya Pradesh. The protesters say increasing the water level in the dam would submerge their lands spread across several villages.

Life had been tough every passing day for the protesters who spent on an average around 20 hours in water. While the 51villagers of Khandwa finally heaved a sigh of relief, calling off their Jal Satyagraha, in another part of Madhya Pradesh another group of villagers continue their protest against the Govt's decision to raise the water level.

General view of a street in Idinthakarai, a village near the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP). The villages along the coast of the Gulf of Mannar, where the power plant is situated, has been protesting the commissioning of the plant owing to fears about its safety. There are (an estimated) one million people living within 30km radius of the power plant which is against the stipulated safety rules of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) of India. According to M Pushparayan, convenor of PMANE (People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy), the villagers have received little or no safety-training in the event of a disaster.

Boats dock at the Idinthakarai village, 6km away from the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP). The village is the headquarters for People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), the NGO that has been spearheading the anti-nuclear protests in the region. The fact that there is only one entry point to the village, which is closely guarded by the villagers, coupled with rumours about the villagers being armed with crude bombs, mean the police are reluctant to enter this zone. Thereby protecting the protestors from hostile government agencies. The flip side is that the leaders holed up here might never get a chance to leave.

Sudhram holds a photo of his wife Rukhmani Bai, who suffered and died from cancer in 2012 at the age 38. He had to sell over five acres of his land to upper-caste farmers to pay for her hospital bills. Today, he himself has the similar lesions that led to his wife's death.

The club, Akhara Guru Gaya Seth, has around 150 members. Most of these train twice a day; early morning and late afternoon. A good part of the physical training consists of push-ups and rope climbing, and while dumbbells are used it is mainly their bodies they use as ballast. The actual wrestling is performed within a square approximately 4x4 meters in size.

In depth portrait of the Hindu Thaipusam festival held annually in Malaysia in January. A unique take on the events through the eyes of a participating couple.
This short documentary is produced in a "personal journey" or "character driven" style.

Synopsis:
Piercing the body out of faith is a custom in most of the oldest religions. Though it may induce fear, doubt and anxiety, it is also associated with a certain sense of mysticism and spirituality. The viewer witnesses here the Thaipusam - the magical Hindu festival where devotees in a state of trance, painlessly carry offerings in the form of heavy burdens and/or have a range of intriguing attachments hooked to their body.

But beyond the images of unbelievable crowds and fanfare, the viewer can also witness the love, trust and devotion merging into an expression of faith through self-sacrifice.

For many, Thaipusam is all about the flourish and the obscure customs. For many tourists, it is the defining evidence of the unique multi-cultural life in Malaysia. For many amateur photographers, it’s one of those places where you capture that ‘one’ unforgettable picture. For some it's a story of love...